Who's the man?
by thenextchapter
Summary: Viola is a new girl at Illyria with her brother, Sebastian. It's basically a love story with her and Duke. There might be some Sebastian and Olivia in later chapters. Rate and Review xxxxxxx
1. First Encounter

"You can't stay mad at me forever Vi," Sebastian pleaded with his sister again for the tenth time since reaching their new school. Illyria. He sighed when he realised that she was still very much ignoring every word that came from his mouth. They were walking along the school's walkway, going towards their new dorm rooms and Viola was staring lovingly at the football field next to them.

"I am sorry." This time, she did turn to her brother and gave him a smile, a small one admittedly but a smile non the less. It was better then her ignoring him.

"I know, I'm not angry with you," she sighed and looked across at the field again. "Mum on the other hand," she mumbled so softly that Sebastian almost missed it but he knew what she said.

"I'm sorry about her too. You know how she is, she does love you." His sister just snorted at that, very unladylike and rolled her eyes.

"No, she loves the idea of a daughter who wears dresses that look like profiteroles and daughters who get excited at just the word, debutante. She loves who she wants me to be but not who I am."

Sebastian wrapped an arm around her as a wave of sympathy hit him.

"Well, one advantage of moving schools is that you won't see mum every day," he tried to cheer her up but it didn't seem to work.

"Or Kia, or Yvonne, or Justin," she listed all the people she was leaving behind and the third name made Sebastian roll his eyes.

"Justin. What do you see in him?" Viola gave him a half hearted glare. They had been dating for over a year and he had been the perfect boyfriend for the beginning but things began to roll down hill. She didn't know what it was, it was like he just changed. Or maybe he was just hiding his true self from her to not repulse her because Viola soon found that Justin was a sexist, arrogant pig. At first, she ignored his little remarks about how men were better then women because she figured that he was just having a bad day but then they started getting into arguments. Bad arguments. As Viola thought about it, leaving Justin behind at Cornwall was probably the best thing about changing schools. She didn't have to tell her brother that though.

"What do you see in Monique?" Sebastian grinned and replied,

"she's hot." Viola made a face at his obvious disrespect to the opposite sex and he in reply held up two hands and defended,

"It's a guy thing." She rolled her eyes and looked up when she realised that they had reached the entrance to the dorm rooms. Viola sighed as she stared up at the daunting stair case that lead up to her new roommate.

"This is where we part ways," she sighed as she threw her bag over her shoulder and began to make her way towards the girls dorms.

…...

Room 263. Viola stood in front of the door and mentally prepared herself as she pushed her key into the lock and opened the door. Half the room was covered in posters of things like puppies and One Direction. It made her want to barf. A pink fluffy rug lay on the floor in the poster half of the room with a matching bright pink bedspread. On the bed sat a beautiful girl. Her pale skin was flawless and her blonde hair laid perfectly against her back. She grinned and jumped up when she saw Viola.

"You must be Viola Hastings. I'm Olivia Lennox, your new roomy." Viola had to admit, she was very friendly. She was glad she hadn't been stuck sharing a dorm with someone who was stuck up and full of herself. She smiled back and dumped her things on the empty bed. Her bed. Her side of the room was empty and dull._ I can decorate it later_.

"Hi," she greeted. "When do classes start?" Olivia began searching through her drawers for something, speaking over her shoulder.

"Not until Tuesday. Principle Gold has this thing about making new transfers feel welcome, so he's spending all of Monday as a "Get to know each other day." You basically just bring picnics, chat and play stupid games. Sounds lame, I know but it's more fun then lessons." She shrugged and dragged out a blue sweater which she pulled on over her tank top.

"Sounds fun," Viola remarked. Olivia smiled,

"Yeah it's alright. Me and a couple of the girls are going to go get a drink in about five minutes. Wanna come?" Viola looked over at the bags she had yet to unpack ad sighed.

"Can I meet up with you later? I have loads to unpack and I really just want to get settled." Olivia grinned and Viola knew she'd get on well with her.

"Sure. We'll be in the cafeteria if you change you mind," she said, walking towards the door.

"Thanks," Viola whispered just as the door shut behind her new roommate.

Viola sank down on her bed and closed her eyes for a minute, letting her angry thoughts flood her mind. It was the idea of having all her clothes scrunched up in a small bag that finally made her sit up and zip open her case. Only, she didn't find her football or her jersey. Instead she found stacks of CD's and a pile of guitar picks. She moaned as she realised that she had Sebastian's bags which meant that he had hers.

Zipping the case back up, Viola stomped out of the room and down the hallway with it in her hands. She knew which room Sebastian had, 226, in the boy's dorm. It didn't take her long until she reached it but some guys were giving her odd looks. Had they never seen a girl before?

She knocked on the door twice and heard noises on the other side. There was more than just her brother in the room, of that she was certain. To confirm her suspicions, the door opened to show a very good-looking, very shirtless guy standing in the doorway.

He had very short, blondey-brown hair with brown eyes that made Viola melt. And his chest! She was pretty sure that she only stood gaping like a fish for about two seconds. She soon collected herself and was back to her normal sassy self.

"Hi, I'm looking for Sebastian?" He stood there staring, eyes slightly wide, trying to form words with his mouth but all he did was stare. Viola didn't know whether to be complimented or anxious. Did she have something on her face? Finally, he spoke. Or tried to,

"Umm… yeah… He's uhhh…. Umm… hi." Viola grinned at his obvious nervousness and cocked an eyebrow.

"Do I make you nervous?" She was known for being very forward. The boy in front of her went beetroot red and his stutter seemed to become worse. Viola laughed and leant in a little closer so he could hear what she whispered.

"Don't worry, It'll be our little secret." His eyes widened but he didn't attempt to speak.

"Viola?" She heard her brother call her name and with a wink in the stumbling guy's direction, she skipped in to find Sebastian strumming on his guitar. She rolled her eyes,

"Are you ever not holding that thing?" She asked and in return, he set it down on his bed,

"Are you ever not holding that ball of yours?" Viola widened her arms,

"Have I got it now?" she asked, he just cringed and shrugged.

"You got me."

Viola heard the door close behind her and felt the guy at the door walk over to the other bed in the room.

"Not that I don't love seeing you, Vi, but why are you here?" She jumped up on his bed and crossed her legs like a child.

"Have you checked your bags yet?" With a raised brow, Sebastian bent and unzipped the bags that were on the floor. He sighed and stood with his sister's football in his hands.

Just at that moment, the door slammed open and two guys came stumbling in, both laughing. They stopped however, when they saw the girl sitting on Sebastian's bed. Before her brother let the silence become awkward, he spoke.

"Andrew, Toby, this is Viola." She waved and looked over at the new strangers.

Andrew smirked and leant against the wall, trying but failing to look cool.

"Watsup?" Viola chuckled under her breath at his lack of suaveness.

"Viola, this is Duke." She looked over at the guy sitting on the opposite bed and smiled. This time, instead of stuttering or blushing, he smiled back in return and she couldn't help but notice how good looking he actually was.

The moment was ruined by her brother throwing her the ball. Viola, rather violently threw it back, aiming for his face. She was satisfied when she heard his grunt of pain.

"Can I have my bags back?" Viola asked gesturing for Sebastian to give her back her ball.

He rubbed at the spot where the ball hit his face and pulled it just out of reach of Viola's grabbing hands. He asked the same question,

"Can I have my bags?"

"Give me the ball. I'll give you your bags."

"Give me my bags. I'll give you yours."

"I want the ball."

"I want my bags."

"Do you want your guitar?" Viola reached for it but Sebastian was already there pulling her back. She grinned at their easy banter as she reached for the ball again.

"You're so annoying!" She laughed but he only smirked in turn,

"You love me anyway." She rolled her eyes and suddenly remembered they weren't alone. Toby's brows were raised in question and Andrew was scowling slightly. Viola saw that Duke's previous smile had disappeared and was replaced with a frown.

"You two together or something?" Toby asked simply, getting straight to he point. It took Viola a moment to realise what he was asking but when she got it, she jumped away from Sebastian, snatching the ball away as she did. She made a face at the thought of her and her brother together like that. It made her want to barf.

"Ewww! God no! This is Viola, my _sister_," He explained. Viola watched as Duke's face showed relief and she couldn't help but smile. Had he cared that she was dating someone? The thought was surprisingly pleasant but she forced it out of her mind. She didn't even know him.

This bought Andrew's cocky smile back onto his face as he slowly made his way over to Viola.

"So, are you just visiting?" The flirtation was so obviously there that it was hard for Viola not to laugh out right in his face. She managed to control herself however,

"no, I'm new to Illyria as well."

His grin was slightly creepy and before it could get any more awkward, Duke stepped in.

"Andrew, back down. You don't want to frighten her away." This time Viola did laugh, so did Toby and Sebastian. Andrew just rolled his eyes and went back over to a chair by the desk in a corner.

"Worth a try," he shrugged.

"Now that you have your ball, can I have my bags?" Sebastian bought the conversation back to what it was on before Andrew began flirting shamelessly with his sister.

"They're by the door," she gestured to the dorm door and jumped off the bed, swinging her real bags onto her shoulder.

"Are you going to that thing tomorrow?" She asked before she left the dorm. Sebastian frowned in confusion,

"What thing?" It was Toby who answered.

"Tomorrow, we basically just hang out and stuff. The principle has this thing for new transfers so at the beginning of the year we play stupid games and things to get to know the newbie's."

"Is it compulsory?" He groaned, Viola hit his shoulder in return.

"It won't be that bad. You have to go, you can't leave me to go by myself," she pleaded and could tell that it was working.

"Why do you have to go?" He tried to edge his way out of it,

"Because I promised my roommate I'd go."

"We're going, you can hang out with us if you want," Andrew offered. Viola wasn't sure if he was flirting again or just being nice.

"Yeah, It'll be fun. We just steal Malcolm's food and play football," Toby assured. Viola smiled,

"Yeah, okay. Sounds fun," she agreed.

"We'll pick you up at your dorm, what room number are you?" Andrew asked.

"263," she answered.

"Does this mean I don't have to go?" Sebastian interrupted, strumming on his guitar again. Viola rolled her eyes and headed for the door,

"See you tomorrow," she called over her shoulder as she shut the door behind her.

…...

After Toby and Andrew left, Duke looked over at his new roommate who was busy concentrating on his guitar that he didn't seem to notice anything else. He wanted to ask him something but wasn't sure if it would be weird if he did. In the end, his curiosity got the better of him.

"Is your sister single?" As soon as the words left his mouth, he realised how eager he sounded and wished the words back. Sebastian looked up and rose his brows.

"Why?" He asked.

Dammit. What was he supposed to say now? He picked up a Chelsea magazine and pretended to be fascinated in the premiere league.

"Just wondering," he said casually, but it didn't fool Sebastian who chuckled.

"No, she's dating a complete tool in Cornwall."

Despite, him telling himself that he didn't care, Duke felt a knot tighten in his chest.

"I think she wants to end it though," Sebastian finished. This seemed to loosen the knot.

"Why? What did he do?" He asked it before he registered the words in his mind. He really had to learn to think before he spoke.

"He's a sexist pig and Viola is a little bit of a feminist. Not a good mix," Sebastian answered, focusing on his guitar once more.

"Who is he?" Once again, Duke cursed his stupid mouth. Sebastian seemed to find it all amusing however.

"Justin Drayton. He's the captain of the school's soccer team."

Duke almost choked in surprise. Justin? She was dating that idiot? Justin Drayton? Why would someone like Viola lower herself to date someone like him? He didn't even know Viola, why did he care so much? He forced her out of his mind and tried to focus on the magazine in front of him.


	2. The Starting Game

Viola threw her phone on the bed when she saw her mother's name on the caller ID. She wasn't ignoring her so much as avoiding. She was just so angry! Her brother gets busted for skipping and consistently bad behaviour so gets sent to Illyria, that's understandable. But why did she have to go? Viola had worked hard the last couple of years because her good grades kept her mother off her back about the whole soccer thing. She was a straight A student and had probably the best life back at Cornwall, but her mother had to go and transfer her to Illyria, Cornwall's rival school. And she used the excuse that her brother needed to be able to fit in and have a good role model. Sebastian was a big boy, he could look after himself!

Viola had nothing against Illyria, she wasn't like Justin who automatically hated anyone from his rival school. In fact, some of the people seemed nice, I mean she liked Olivia and Toby, Andrew might be a little desperate but other than that he seemed like an OK guy, but she loved her old life. She wanted it back.

She sighed when Barbie Girl rang from her phone. _She won't leave me alone unless I talk to her. _Viola put the top back on the nail polish bottle and admired her baby blue toe nails as she answered the phone.

"What do you want?"

"Viola?" It was Justin's voice she heard. Great, something else she didn't want to deal with.

"Justin. Hey."

"Hey baby," Viola was really getting fed up with his pet names. "I've been calling you, your phone must have been off or something."

"Yeah. Maybe," maybe if she gave him short bored answers, he's get the message and leave her alone.

"I feel really bad about how we left things," he started, "It was a stupid fight."

Viola had completely forgotten about that. When her team got cut, she had asked the Cornwall coach to join their team and had expected her boyfriend to back her up. Instead he started with his whole sexist speech which turned into a huge fight between them. She really couldn't deal with this now.

"Justin…"

"No. Let me finish. Nobody fights over a stupid soccer issue and I've had some time to think. My therapist is always saying that forgiveness is the road towards greatness and I've actually decided to listen to her once. I love you Viola, and I've decided to forgive you."

Viola wanted to end this conversation as quickly as possible but what she heard made her blanch.

"What? _Forgive me_? Justin, I don't need forgiving."

"Baby, don't worry about it. It's all in the past." Viola snorted,

"Yeah, _baby_, It's in the past all right. We're done." With that, she hung up and threw it once more on her bed, cutting off Justin's protests in mid sentence. What a joke.

A knock on her door brought her out of her angry thoughts and she suddenly remembered that she was waiting for the boys to take her to whatever this "Get to know each other day" thing was. Checking herself out in the mirror made her smile at her reflection.

She chose to wear a long blue tank top that matched her newly painted toenails and a pair of denim shorts, showing off her long legs. Her hair she had tied up into a tight high pony after straightening it, so it fell around her shoulders and her makeup she had spent a little extra time on with a little extra eye liner giving her the whole smoky eye thing, finishing off with a pale pink lip gloss. She looked good.

On her way to the door, she slipped on a pair of trainers and slipped her phone into her back pocket. She opened the door to find two guys waiting. She had to admit, Viola preferred Duke shirtless although he did look good in his white tight fitted t-shirt. He blushed when he saw her and Toby who stood next to him, grinned.

"You ready?" Toby asked. She smiled in return and nodded.

"We managed to drag Sebastian along too, he's waiting with Andrew downstairs," Toby assured. Viola felt herself relax. She wasn't shy and had no problem making new friends but it was nice to know she had someone she knew and was comfortable with there.

"How did you manage that?" A mischievous grin lit up his face.

"We hid his guitar." Viola laughed, imagining her brother's face if his one prized possession went missing.

"We better hurry or they'll start without us," Toby began to walk down the hallway and Viola and Duke followed behind.

"Start what?" She asked curiously.

"We always play this casual game of soccer. It's meant to be fun but Toby takes it was too seriously and gets pretty competitive," Duke explained hesitantly.

"Oh, like you don't, Duke? If I remember correctly, it was you who gave Aaron that twisted ankle," Toby threw over his shoulder. Viola watched as Duke rolled his eyes,

"It was bruised, he was just being a drama queen and we won didn't we?" Toby jumped down the stairs, ignoring his friend completely.

"You can play if you want, Viola, but not on my team. I kind of want to win, no offence or anything." Viola was surprised to find that his remark didn't sting or make her want to start preaching woman's rights. Instead she felt excitement at the prospect of beating Toby and the boys and showing them just who the man was. She laughed it off and replied,

"Thanks, Toby. I'll play but prepared to be beaten."

Duke grinned,

"You do know, we're on the team?" Viola smiled back flirtatiously,

"I know," she said before running down the stairs after Toby.

…...

Sebastian was waiting with Andrew out by the fields. You could tell her brother didn't want to be there by the scowl on his face when Toby walked over to them.

"Can I have my guitar back?" He asked almost instantly. Viola laughed and she received a mock glare from her brother.

"It's not funny. Do you know how expensive it was?"

Viola rolled her eyes.

"I think you can live without it for a couple of hours." Sebastian sighed and turned to Duke.

"I don't suppose you know where it is?" Duke grinned and Viola's heart started fluttering at the sight of him in the sun. He was smoking hot. She quickly disregarded the feelings and thoughts however. She didn't know him.

"Sorry mate. I'm under strict instructions to keep my mouth shut, but I can promise that they haven't smashed or harmed it in any way." Sebastian mumbled something under his breath and stalked off to where Andrew was sitting in the shade. Viola noticed that all the students were either sitting around chatting or playing stupid games like the three legged race. Over by the playing field, a bunch of guys were busy kicking a ball around and she had the urge to join them. She had hardly had the chance to play any soccer after her team at Cornwall got cut and she missed it. A lot.

"As much as we'd love to stand here watching you mope," he told Sebastian, "we have a game of soccer to win. Your sister reckons she can beat us," he scoffed. Viola shrugged,

"I can only try." Sebastian grinned at their private joke. He hadn't seen Toby play but he was almost positive that Viola could win a game against him easily, or at least make him sweat.

"Viola, try not to embarrass yourself too much," he instructed. She widened her eyes and gave him the innocent look,

"I'll try my best."

Andrew stood from where he sat and brushed himself off.

"Oh, darling. Are you sure you want to do this? You could get hurt, it's a pretty rough game," he cooed. Viola was so close to laughing and telling him just where he could put it, when Duke spoke up.

"Guys, if she wants to play then she can play. I'm pretty sure she can look after herself." There goes her fluttering heart.

Toby shrugged,

"Whatever, lets just play OK?" They ran down to where the other guys were messing about on the field and got ready for a game. After a few remarks about Viola playing, everyone was soon ready to begin. Sebastian, who stood on the sidelines eager to watch his sister kick all the guy's asses, made a high pitched whistle through his teeth and signalled the start of the game.

…...

Duke couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe it. They had lost. They had made the teams fare, putting half of the first stringers onto both teams but their team had him, Toby and Andrew, the best players and they lost. They lost and it was because of Viola. She was good. No, better then good. She was amazing.

She wasn't the strongest, but she was fast and nimble and took the guys by surprise. She left them tired, running after her and that made them make more mistakes, giving her the chance to score two of the winning goals. She just surprised him and he wanted so badly to get to know her.

After the game ended, Viola ran over to Sebastian who was busy laughing away. Duke, Toby and Andrew went over to them, Andrew staring at her in awe and Toby looking at her with new respect in his eyes. Duke was pretty sure that he was just staring at her lovingly and looked like a complete dork.

"So, you can play soccer?" What a stupid question to ask after watching her do _that, _Duke thought as the words left Andrew's lips. Viola grinned and Duke's hear gave a little twinge. God, she was beautiful and she played soccer. She was his dream girl.

"I was the captain for the girl's soccer team back in Cornwall," she said. Duke though, didn't hear a word. He couldn't hear anything around him or see anything except the girl in front of him.

"You couldn't tell us that before we played?" Toby asked.

"I wanted to make you sweat," she replied.

"Are you going to try out for the team?" Duke blurted it out before he even thought it.

Viola looked thrown for a moment before frowning,

"Isn't it a boys only team?" Duke shrugged. He didn't really know, he just wanted to see her every day for practice.

"I don't think so, It's just a girl hasn't bothered to try out before," he guessed completely.

Toby grinned.

"Yeah, It would be wicked if you made it. You could be our secret weapon, we'd never lose a game." Viola laughed and the sound filled Duke's ears.

"I don't know, wouldn't it be weird if I was the only girl on an all boys team?" She asked. Duke was already shaking his head before she'd finished the sentence. He was very eager to spend more time with her.

"No. All the guys will be thrilled to have a hot girl on the team." He was shocked at how easily he was talking to her. Since when did the nervous stuttering whenever he was near a girl stop? Viola smiled and looked up at Duke.

"I bet they will" She told him and his heart actually stopped beating.

He could feel his friends gazes on him. They weren't used to this Duke talking to girls, but he couldn't look away from her gorgeous hazel eyes. She was the most amazing thing he's ever seen. Sebastian, who didn't pick up on the moment Viola and Duke were having, went and ruined the moment.

"Now that my sister's kicked you ass, and I've spent a reasonable amount of time pretending to enjoy myself as I watched you kick a muddy ball into a net, can you please tell me where my guitar is?" At this, Viola looked away and Duke felt the loss of the connection. Her laugh once again filled the air.

"Stop moaning, Sebastian."

"Yeah, I will personally give it back to you after you eat with us," Toby assured, walking over to their previous spot in the shape where a pile of pizza boxes were piled.

"I hope you like pizza?" Andrew asked as he sat down and began digging in. What a pig. Duke made sure that he was close to Viola, occasionally making skin contact. Whenever their arms brushed, a tingling sensation went all up his body and his heart could be heard pumping from a mile away.

Half way through their picnic, Viola stood to go up to the bathroom. As she was walking away, Duke noticed that her phone was on the grass, it must have fallen from her pocket when she stood. A moment later it began ringing, "Barbie Girl", and a burst of jealousy hit him when caller ID read Justin Drayton. He quickly pressed the reject button. _Bastard_, he thought.


	3. Interrupted At The Wrong Moment

Viola couldn't wipe the stupid grin off her face. Why was she feeling like this? She had only known Duke for two days, why was he having this effect on her?

"You ready?" Olivia snapped her out of thoughts and Viola was grateful for it. She should not be thinking about any boy at the moment especially one she didn't know. But the moment she had with Duke yesterday after the soccer game was just… OMG! Stop thinking about him! She smiled and slung her satchel over her shoulder.

"Yep," she assured as they walked out of their dorm and made their way towards Chemistry.

"Where were you yesterday? I didn't see you," Olivia asked as they trotted down the stairs.

"I was playing soccer with the team." The thought of the game bought on thoughts of Duke and she really had to stop thinking of him.

The very beautiful lady came out with a very unladylike snort.

"Soccer? You play soccer?" It didn't surprise Viola much that Olivia didn't like the game. I mean she liked pink and one direction, that in itself speaks for itself. So, she just laughed as they entered the science block.

All the students were there and yet Viola's eyes seeked out Duke's almost straight away. She had never been so wound up about a guy, why was she now? It was just, Duke was so… yummy. He smiled and waved her over. Her heart thumping, Viola told Olivia she'd meet up with her after the lesson and went and sat in the empty seat next to Duke.

The space between them seemed small, the way she liked it. She had to shake her thoughts out of her head, she couldn't think like that. He probably didn't even like her. The thought brought her a pain so hurtful that she was almost keeling in her seat.

"I talked to the coach." What a great way to start a conversation. Viola's head snapped up and she looked at Duke with wide eyes.

"What? You did? What did he say? Can I play?" Duke laughed softly and quietly as the teacher had just walked into the room but Viola wasn't interested,

"I can only answer one question at a time," he warned. Viola mock scowled,

"Well, you better start answering them." He grinned and began doodling on his text book, keeping an eye on the front as he continued his discussion with the girl next to him.

"He said, that it doesn't say in the rule manual that girls are forbidden to play so he will allow you to try out. You still have to try out and he's warning you that it will be harder for you in matches with certain people. They'll pick on you because you're a girl or think you're weak." Viola rolled her eyes,

"They don't know me very well then, do they?"

Duke looked down and once again got lost in her beautiful clear eyes.

"No they don't," he whispered huskily, unconsciously leaning forwards slightly. Viola's breathing sped up and her hear beat uncontrollably. Oh my god! His lips! They looked so soft and…

"Miss. Hastings and Mr. Orsino, I hope I'm not interrupting anything am I?" The teacher up front asked. Viola and Duke sprang apart so fast that Duke almost fell from his seat. The whole class had turned and were snickering. Duke was blushing a deep shade of pink as he muttered under his breath so quietly that no one except Viola could hear,

"Yes miss, actually you are."

She couldn't help it. Viola laughed out loud which really wasn't the best move because then Duke was laughing and then the class were just staring at them strangely and the teacher was turning red in anger. Before the teacher lost her rag and had a screaming fit, Viola calmed the waters.

"No miss, sorry."

"Good, now try to pay attention please or you may find yourself outside the principle's office," she threatened before turning back to the board. Viola rolled her eyes and tried to pay attention to the rest of the lesson but she couldn't keep her thoughts off the almost kiss. Duke being so close to her didn't help matters either.

When the bell did finally ring, Viola began packing her bags trying very hard to ignore the warm tingly feeling she was getting off of Duke. They didn't talk as they packed their bags and they both took their time, savouring in each other's comfortable silence. Duke was the first to break it.

"The guys have already tried out for the team but Coach is letting you have a go after school today." Viola was a little disappointed that that was what Duke said. She was kind of hoping that he might ask her out…

"Okay cool. I'll be there," Duke smiled and hesitated, his bag slung over his shoulder.

"Viola?" He started. Her head snapped up but she tried to play it cool. Was he going to ask her out?

"Yeah?" She may have asked it a bit too eagerly. Duke shuffled his feet but kept eye contact.

"I was just wondering…" Another pause.

Viola was on the edge of her seat. Was he going to ask her?

"Yeah?" She encouraged him on but he was obviously chickening out.

"Well, I was just thinking that we…" Another pause. Viola almost growled in frustration.

"Yes…" Almost there. Almost there. Say it Duke. Just say it.

The bell signalling the beginning of the next lesson rang and it broke Duke out of his daze. He turned a beetroot red and looked away, already making his way towards the door.

"Never mind. I'll… I'll see you later Viola." Disappointment overwhelmed her even though she told herself she didn't care. She forced a smile but irritation and frustration glinted in her eyes.

"Okay, bye Duke."

…...

It was lunch and Duke was waiting in line with Andrew and Toby. His friends were busy chatting on about something but he didn't hear a word. He was such an idiot! If Viola liked him before then she didn't now. He had acted like a pathetic idiot!

He threw his tray onto the table a little harsher then necessary and plonked himself down on the bench. Andrew and Toby took their seats, eyeing him up warily.

"What's your problem dude?" Andrew asked, picking up the apple that had rolled off the table at Duke's little temper tantrum.

"Yeah. Something on your mind?" Toby took a bite out of the now bruised fruit. Duke's first reaction was to snap but then he sighed, controlling his anger. It wasn't his friend's fault that he was a blubbering idiot.

"There's a girl."

Andrew laughed while Toby breathed out through his teeth. They shared a look that Duke couldn't identify.

"There always is. What's the problem?"

"Can't start up a conversation?" Andrew laughed at his own joke which Duke didn't think too funny.

"Actually no. She's really easy to talk to." This shocked his two friends into silence. Toby frowned,

"I didn't know you and Olivia had actually talked," he said. Duke frowned at the change of topic.

"Olivia? How did we get onto that conversation topic?" Andrew rose his brows as if it was obvious.

"She is who you're talking about right?"

"You've had a crush on her for like three years. It was tragic watching you stumble every time she was a mile away. So sad." Duke scowled. She really didn't want to hear about how much of a loser he was.

"I'm not talking about Olivia," he stated. "I'm over her. There's someone else." He smiled at the thought of Viola's hazel eyes and perfect brunette hair. She was… perfect. He then remembered his almost asking her out diabolical mess and the scowl returned.

"Wow, you've got it bad!" Toby leant back, catching sight of his friend's happy smile. Andrew put his arms on the table and edged forwards in his seat, eager for details like a teenage girl.

"Who is it?" Duke shook his head, stuffing a chip into his mouth. Andrew whined.

"Oh come on! Dude! You said that she was easy to talk to which means that she must be some miracle worker!" Toby nodded in agreement.

"He's right man. You never talk to girls. Never." "Thank you both for pointing out my failures in life." Duke slammed his head against the table.

"So, what's the problem if she's so easy to talk to?" Toby asked. He sighed and thought back to his terrible conversation.

Before he could share his misery's with his friends, he caught sight of her. She was laughing at something her brother said and they were making their way towards the table next to theirs. Toby noticed that Duke's attention was no longer focused on them. When he did see who Duke was so fascinated with, we snorted and rose both brows.

"Viola?!" Duke made sure that she hadn't heard her name being called before turning back to Toby with an angry glare.

"Could you say it any louder?" He whispered, blushing. Andrew who was a little slow finally caught on and laughed out loud.

"Viola? Sebastian's sister? Your roommate's sister? Good luck with that."

Duke hadn't thought about Sebastian. Would it be a problem? Would he hate him and demand to move rooms? Duke had to admit, he kind of liked his roommate. If he left, he might end up rooming with Malcolm. Nothing was worth that.

Why was he worrying about Sebastian anyway? It wasn't like Viola was actually going to agree to go out with him after what happened. He banged his head against the table again.

"Can we not talk about it?"

Toby laughed but did as asked.

"So. The team's going to Cesario's after school today. Wanna come?" Duke was going to agree but then remembered Viola's football tryouts.

"I don't think I can make it. Coach has let Viola try out for the team after school today and I kind of want to be there and see how it goes."

Andrew let out another ugly snort and mumbled under his breath,

"Yeah that's why you want to see her, not because she'll be wearing short shorts showing off her tanned, sweaty legs…"

"Can you shut up?" The way Andrew was talking about her made Duke physically sick. He was such a pervert.

"Yeah dude. You are one sick bastard," Toby agreed. Andrew shrugged before shovelling a mouthful of the slimy thick stuff the school call lunch into his mouth.

"I want to see how she does too. I'm sure the rest of the team won't say no to watching a hot girl run around the field. We can all cheer her on or whatever and then everyone including Viola can relax at Cesario's. How about that?"

Duke felt a little pissed at the thought of the rest of the team watching her but it was completely pointless. It was a good arrangement, it meant he would be able to spend more time with Viola. He was brought out of his daydreams when Toby shouted her name.

"Hey! Viola!" his eyes widened and he hit his arm hard enough for it to hurt.

"What are you doing?" Duke hissed as Viola made her way over to their table.

"Trust me," Toby whispered back, smiling in Viola's direction.

"Can I help you boys?" She asked flirtatiously. Duke's stomach twisted at the sight of her but he played it cool, pretending to not be interested as he played with his food.

"Yeah, Duke told us that you were trying out for team?" he kicked Toby's legs under the table hard enough for him to wince and give him a warning look which Duke returned with his own scowl. Viola eyes them up suspiciously from their strange behaviour and nodded.

"How would you feel if the team watched you play?" Andrew asked.

Viola smiled which really lit up her whole face.

"The more the merrier," she replied. Toby grinned as Duke kept his face down fascinated in his tray of food.

"Great. After the tryout do you want to come to Cesario's with us?"_ Say yes, say yes, say yes_, Duke thought as he awaited her answer.

"Sure, sounds fun."

Duke grinned and spoke up, suddenly realising that he was the only one who hadn't actually spoken yet at the table.

"You can invite Sebastian to come along too, if you want." Viola's smile was directed at Duke, and this time it felt like his chest was on fire.

"Thanks, I will. I'll see you guys later," she said as she made her way over to her previous table. Duke wasn't even aware of the other guy's conversation after that.


	4. The Bike Ride

An hour later and Viola was pleased to see the boy's mouths were wide after seeing her talents on the field with the ball. It was a gruelling try out but she was glad with how it went. The Coach seemed impressed as well and she really hoped she had made the team but she wouldn't know until tomorrow morning when the list went up.

After the tryouts, Viola made her way towards the bleachers where the boys were looking at her with awe in their eyes. She smirked at their reaction.

"I think it's safe to say, you're on the team," a good looking boy who she hadn't met yet said. Viola grinned,

"You think so?"

Toby began nodding enthusiastically.

"Defiantly. You were amazing." Viola blushed and rolled her eyes. She wouldn't go that far.

"Having a girl on the team will defiantly be an advantage," the unknown boy said again. "We can take them by surprise."

Andrew, who was obviously getting tired of the tactics talk spoke up.

"Can we get something to eat now?" Viola nodded and then realised what she was wearing. Shorts that stuck tight to her thighs and a t-shirt that was now drenched in sweat.

Duke seemed to realise the problem the exact same time that she did.

"You guys go ahead. Viola can get changed and I'll show her where Cesario's is." The guys agreed and with a final look in Duke's direction which Viola couldn't identify, Toby took off too, leaving Duke and Viola alone.

Her heart began to hammer as she remembered how close he was to asking her out before in class. They were alone as they made their way towards the girls dorms.

"You were really good out there," Duke said as they walked along the field. Viola smiled and shrugged it off. It wasn't that she didn't like compliments it was just she didn't know what to do with them.

"Thanks, I've been playing soccer since I can remember. I don't think I've ever not played the game." Viola thought over on her past life. She had always been the disappointment in the family. To her mother she was always meant to wear dresses and squeal like a girl but it just wasn't her. Sebastian loved her and Viola didn't know what she would do without him, he was the only thing that kept her sane.

"Same with me. I got my first football at the age of three." Viola grinned at the thought of a mini Duke running around the back garden with a muddy ball. Adorable.

"What about you? When did you discover your love for the game?" Viola thought back and smiled at the fond memory.

"I was six and all the girls were skipping during recess, didn't appeal much to me. The boys were playing soccer and one of them, Johnnie, I think said I wouldn't be as good as them. So I tried to prove them wrong."

Duke laughed.

"Let me guess. You beat them all and left them gaping?" Viola laughed.

"Uhhhhh… No. I sucked at it, but I was determined to prove them wrong. Everyday after school I'd practice and practice until one day I just beat them. I was a pretty stubborn six year old."

Duke shook his head in wonder. He couldn't ever imagine her not being good at soccer. She was amazing.

"Well, you defiantly just left the whole team gaping." This time it was Viola's time to laugh.

"They were just surprised. Anyway, how did you get into soccer?" Duke hesitated which piqued Viola's curiosity.

She bumped soldiers with him and couldn't ignore the sparks that flew when they made skin contact.

"Come on, I told you my story." She couldn't help but notice that Duke didn't step away and kept his shoulder brushing against hers. He sighed, giving in.

"My dad died a little while back. I've always played soccer but when he died, my mum went into a little black hole and was pretty hard to live with. I played the game to escape reality." Viola stopped dead in her tracks and squeezed her eyes shut. She was such an idiot!

"I'm so sorry Duke."

She opened her eyes and found Duke surprisingly close to her.

"Why? You didn't know." His voice was low and husky and his eyes kept flickering down to her lips. Her breathing became heavier and she was surprised that no one could hear her beating heart. It felt like it wanted to burst out of her chest.

"I'm still sorry," she replied quietly. She couldn't help her eyes flicker downwards. She noticed him smile and take another movement closer. She could feel his breath on her face.

"Don't be," he whispered, getting closer still. She didn't move. She didn't breath. His lips brushed hers briefly for a second, but it wasn't a kiss, just an effect of standing so close together.

His hot breath tickled her chin and she unintentionally leant forwards. Their lips met and it was the most amazing second before…

"Students are not allowed on school grounds unless accompanied by a member of staff." Viola jumped away quickly and looked over Duke's shoulder to see Malcolm shouting out of a window.

She had met him briefly yesterday and nobody seemed to like him. She could see why. He had the worse timing. Duke shut his eyes and growled which Viola found amusing.

"Shouldn't you be in bed Malcolm?" She heard a grunt come from the open window before he closed it with a slam. They were alone again but the moment had passed.

"You should go get changed. I'll wait here for you." Viola was surprised to realise that they had already reached the dorms. She ran inside, escaping the bitter wind's cold, avoiding Duke's eyes. Once inside the safety of her own dorm, she leant against the door. What the hell just happened?

…...

This is not me! Duke thought to himself, he didn't act this way around girls. He could barely talk to them let alone puck up the courage to actually kiss them! But Viola was just so easy to be around. She made him forget that he was talking to a girl and he was just talking to a friend. A really good friend.

A little more than a friend. He had never wanted to kill Malcolm so much in that moment. He was pretty sure that he had been spying on them and when he saw that Duke had been feeling actual joy, decided to ruin everything. Was it going to be awkward between them? He barely knew her and yet he felt so comfortable around her.

She was stubborn and beautiful and defiant and sweet and he had only met her a few days ago. Was it usual for his heart to be beating rapidly? It never did for Olivia and yet he was in lover with her since forever. But Viola made him forget about Olivia.

He was whipped out of his thoughts when he heard footsteps sound from behind him. He twirled and found Viola walking down the stone steps towards him. His breath caught. She was wearing a mini denim skirt, showing off beautiful tanned legs and a long sleeved shirt that was tight against her skin. She was… amazing. Her hair she had pulled down from her tight pony and it flew around her face due to the wind.

She smiled at him without a worry, the earlier situation forgotten.

"Ready to go?" She asked when she had reached him. He tried to force the words out and kill the Duke who couldn't talk to girls. He hated that Duke but he seemed to be making an appearance.

"Yeah lets go before Malcolm catches us again." He did it! And he spoke a whole sentence.

As they walked along the field the way they had come the silence which filled the air was surprisingly not awkward. But he wanted to talk to her. Needed to talk to her. The Duke he hated seemed to have disappeared.

"Do you want to talk? About what happened? Well, almost happened."

Viola blushed and looked up at the sky, thinking things over it seemed.

"I don't want things to be awkward between us," she said at last after a minutes silence. Duke glanced over at her. She really was stunning.

"Neither do I," he replied.

More silence.

"So… What does this mean now? Do we pretend it didn't happen or?…" Duke thought it over. He didn't want to forget it happened.

"I like you Viola."

She looked surprised at his confession, and she turned her head to gaze at him, letting the moon's bright glow shine around her head like a halo. Duke was speechless.

"I like you too." Duke grinned. The words were like heaven to his ears. He grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her to his side, slinging an arm over her shoulder.

Viola smiled and put her head on his shoulder as they walked to the car park. There were a bunch of cars parked randomly in the gravelled space.

"Which one's yours?" She asked as her lead her towards the corner of the parking lot.

She could feel him grin as he pointed to a shiny motor bike leaning against a wall.

"Are you kidding me? That's your ride?" She was surprised but could admit that Duke would look good on the back of a bike.

He slung his leg over the seat and turned on the engine. He held out a helmet towards Viola which he grabbed from behind him.

"Wear this." Viola stared at him in shock.

"You expect me to get on that?" She hissed, her lips turned up in a grin.

Duke faked mock surprise.

"The soccer star never been on the back of a bike?" Viola scowled playfully.

"Yeah because that's what all soccer players are know for. Being bikers."

Duke laughed and threw the helmet at her.

She caught it but didn't make a move towards the bike.

"Come on. Don't tell me you're scared?" She harrumphed. She was not scared. A little wary maybe. People died on bikes! She didn't want to die! But she wasn't scared. She wasn't.

"I am not scared."

Duke rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, okay. Prove it." He wagged his brows suggestively. Viola bit her lip, thinking it over. Should she?

"If you're scared…"

"I'm not." She assured as she shuffled her feet. You only live once, right?

She dumped the helmet on her head and walked over the bike, hesitating when she reached it.

"Okay, how do I get on?" Duke laughed.

"Just swing your leg over and hold on tight. I promise not to read too much into it." Viola scowled but hid her laughter as she got onto the bike, wrapping her arms around Duke's waist.

"Jerk," she said into his ear. He laughed again, and turned his head so she could hear him over the roaring engine.

"Just close your eyes. I promise not to crash or something." Her heart began hammering when they began moving and she buried her face in the material of his shirt.

"That's very reassuring," she mumbled. She felt his body move from silent chuckles and kept her eyes squeezed shut as they rode to the restaurant. Her heart was thumping for the whole journey but she took reassurance in Duke's warm body. She didn't open her eyes or move her head from his back until they had stopped and the engine was off.

When she did, she realised there was very little space between Duke and her and her heart began hammering away again.

"You okay?" He asked, turning so he could see her. Her mouth was dry and she couldn't feel her tongue but she forced words out.

"Oh yeah, peachy." He grinned and got off the bike. When he helped her off, he had to hold her up because her legs had gone like jelly and she found it hard to stand.

"You sure?" She fake scowled at him again.

"Do I look like a damsel in distress?" He shook his head in bewilderment.

"You really are something," he mumbled. She shrugged and smirked playfully,

"I like to think so."

He chuckled and slung his arm around her shoulder again and lead her towards a restaurant with a sign, Cesario's. Duke removes his arm from around her shoulder to open the door. She follows in after him and spots the Illyrian team almost straight away. They were sitting in two booths near the back making a lot of noise.

When Andrew spotted the new arrivals, he grinned and waved them over.

"What were you two doing? We've been waiting for you for like eight hours! I'm starving!" He hyperbolised. Duke rolled his eyes as he slid into the booth next to his buddies. Viola slid into the seat opposite him, nodding and smiling at the guys who greeted her.

"We weren't that long," Duke stole a sip of Andrew's coke who slapped his hand away.

"Get your own," he yelled. Viola noticed Toby give Duke another one of his strange looks which she didn't quite understand. Duke blushed and looked away which got her curious, she'd ask Duke about it later.


	5. Introducing Aaron

Duke couldn't think straight. Thoughts of Viola kept popping up. What was with that girl? How could she make you forget everything? He smiled as he remembered how it felt to have an arm around her waist, she fit perfectly.

"What are you grinning at?" Sebastian's voice snapped him out of his day dreams.

He looked up from the magazine he was pretending to read and looked over at Sebastian who was lying on the other bed, staring at the ceiling. Sebastian. Viola's brother. Would he have a problem with him dating his sister? Were they even dating? They had admitted to liking each other but they hadn't actually confessed to dating. A knot formed in his chest. She had a boyfriend. That idiot, Drayton.

"Nothing," he replied to his roommates earlier inquisition. Sebastian quirked a brow in disbelief but let it go. Duke had been so wrapped up in his thoughts, that he didn't even notice that Sebastian was also grinning like a complete idiot.

"What about you? Why have you got some dreamy smile on your face?"

Sebastian blushed. He actually blushed! And sat up, leaning over to pick up his guitar which was always only an arm width away from him.

"I'm not," he denied, still not looking Duke in the eye which got him curious.

"Dude. Come on. What's making you grin and blush like a girl?"

Sebastian mock scowled at his roommate and shook his head, but his silly little grin had returned.

"Could it be a girl?" Sebastian's reddening of cheeks, confirmed his suspicions.

"Who is it?"

Sebastian started strumming a tune on the guitar.

"Olivia Lennox." Duke was surprised for a moment, expecting the wave of jealousy to hit him. But it didn't come. He was glad that he was finally over her, it was because of Viola that he was.

"Have you talked to her?" Duke asked, honestly curious.

"Yeah. We're Bio partners." Viola was Duke's bio partner. God! Why was it that everything lead down to Viola? He never felt this way for Olivia and he had only know Viola for about five days.

"Are you going to ask her out?"

Sebastian grinned.

"Already have." Duke smiled. He liked his new roommate and was happy that he was getting what he wanted. Thoughts of Viola appeared again and this time, Duke decided to do some digging about Justin.

"So… This might sound really weird, but… how's Justin?" _Way to go Duke. What a good way to start a conversation, ask how your arch nemesis is doing. _Sebastian looked up from his guitar and frowned slightly in confusion.

"Justin? As in Drayton?" Duke nodded, yes, blushing at how obvious he sounded right now.

"Don't know, don't care. That guy is a complete ass. I don't know what Viola ever saw in him." Duke had to agree completely but then his heart leapt when he heard what Sebastian said.

"_Saw_ in him?" He used past tense. Did that mean…

"Yeah, Viola dumped him yesterday."

The grin that appeared on Duke's face was completely unconsciously done. He tried to hide it before his roommate got suspicious but from the sly, grin Sebastian was giving him, he guessed he failed miserably.

"That's a shame," he lied, looking back down at his magazine aiming for the "I really don't care look."

Sebastian laughed,

"Sure it is," he muttered, strumming rhythms on his guitar.

…...

It was the day. The day to find out who made it on the team. Viola had been nervous and excited all day and when she heard the list had been posted, she almost ran to the hallway where the paper that held the new team's names was pinned to the wall.

When she arrived, half the team were already hanging about, looking either disappointed or ecstatic. She spotted Andrew and Toby, who were busy giving Hi-fives. They had obviously made the team. She made her way over and was greeted by Toby's grin.

"Hey pretty lady," Andrew flirted playfully. Viola rolled her eyes and gestured to where the sheet of paper was pinned so innocently.

"Is that the team list?" Toby grinned happily.

"You bet it is! Best team yet." What did that mean? Was she on it?

"Who's on it?" She asked, not being able to actually look at the list herself.

"Why don't you take a look?" Andrew suggested, but Viola was already shaking her head no.

"I can't. Just tell me. Am I on it?" Toby shrugged,

"Not telling until you actually look at the list."

Obviously not getting anywhere with Toby, Viola turned to Andrew.

"Andrew? Who's on the list?" She batted her eyelashes and could feel his resolve crumbling, that was until Toby kicked him in the shin.

"Don't fall for her good looks and charms." She scowled in Toby's direction, who just laughed.

"Just tell me!" She pleaded, stomping her foot on the ground like a stubborn six year old. Andrew smirked,

"Just look on the list, pretty lady." She was about to come out with a comeback when she felt arms wrap around her waist and then being twirled around in the air. She squealed like a little girl.

"Congratulations! We're on the team!" Duke yelled from behind her. Her heart began hammering when she realised it was his arms around her waist and then she heard what he said.

"I'm on the team?!" Duke laughed at her obvious joy. Toby and Andrew groaned in frustration now that there little game had been lost.

She then took in their looks of shock at the familiarity between her and Duke. Toby cleared his throat.

"Would somebody like to tell me what's going on here?" He gestured between Viola and Duke who both shrugged.

Duke wrapped his arm around her shoulders and grinned at Toby who was looking at him in complete surprise. Viola leant against him, enjoying the feel of his warm body next to hers. That caught hold of a few stares from the fellow members of the team. They were all surprised that the hot new chick was with Duke, who could barely talk to anyone of the opposite sex.

The bell rang, signalling the next lesson. People lurking about the hallways, made their way towards their next class and Viola and Duke waited until everybody had dispersed before making their way towards the Biology lab.

"Did I or did I not tell you, you would make the team?" Duke asked, pulling her tighter against him.

She laughed,

"You did, but it's still a relief to know for sure." Duke smiled sweetly and thought over what he wanted to say next.

"Hey, Viola?" She looked up at him.

"Yeah?" Why was he hesitating? He should not be nervous! _Come on Duke! Don't be an idiot!_

"What are you doing on Sunday?" Viola's lips turned up in a smile and she replied,

"I think I'm free, why?" _Just say it! Come on!_

"Well, I was just wondering, if maybe you wanted to get something to eat. With me." _There! I said it. _

"You mean like a date?" _Did she not want to go on a date? Oh God! _The blabbering idiot who Duke hated with all his might decided to make an appearance.

"Well, if you don't want… It doesn't have to be… We can… Uhhhhh… well…" Viola laughed.

"I would love to go on a date with you Duke."

That stupid little grin that only appeared when he was with Viola came into view and he felt his heart jump in his chest.

"Okay. Good." _What am I saying?! You don't say that! _He looked down at Viola, who was smiling back at him. She really was beautiful. Stunning.

They stopped outside the Bio lab and hurried in before they got scolded for being late. They took their usual seats in the back and listened to the lecture, their shoulders brushing until the final bell rang.

…...

At soccer practice, Coach put the team into pairs and told them to do some exercises and stretches. Viola was paired with Andrew and Duke with Toby. Throughout the whole practice, Duke couldn't stop glancing over at Viola and Toby noticed.

"Since when are you so comfortable around girls?" He asked, kicking the ball over to Duke.

"I don't know. She's just so easy to talk to." Toby laughed and shook his head,

"You've got it bad, dude." Duke grinned. He really did.

"So, are you officially together?" Duke sighed. He thought they were. I mean, he did ask her out and she said yes, but she had only just broken up with her boyfriend. Was she really ready to move onto another relationship so quickly.

"I don't know," he replied, a wistful look on his face which made Toby laugh more. He was interrupted when Aaron bumped into him, Toby stumbled forwards but managed to hold himself up.

"Sorry," he said, picking up a stray ball. Aaron was the definition of good looking but he was also very much a player. Duke didn't mind him but didn't like the way he treated girls. He could also be a bit of an arrogant ass.

He faced Duke,

"So you're not officially with Viola?" Duke frowned.

"Were you listening in on our conversation?" Aaron shrugged and grinned, showing off perfect teeth.

"It was an accident. So are you?" He frowned. What was this dude talking about?

"Am I what?"

"Dating Viola." Duke frowned,

"Why do you want to know?" Aaron grinned again, but this time it was full with malice.

"She's hot. I want to know if she'll be able to handle all of this," he gestured wildly at his bare chest.

Duke scowled and before he made a conscious decision to, he made a move forwards, anger filling him up at the thought of Aaron so much as touching Viola. Toby stepped between the two before Duke could actually reach Aaron.

"Duke, calm down! Aaron, piss off somewhere else." Aaron shook his head, and ran off down the field with ball in hand. Duke watched him go, breathing deeply. Toby gave Duke a once over,

"Are you alright?"

His eyes never left Aaron's retreating back.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

**Hey everybody! Thank you for all of the reviews, I really appreciate it :) I've just joined Wattpad and it's a really cool site, I have some stories and fanfics there so if you wanna check it out, just type _teenagelove12345_ and go onto find people. You should be able to find me. Thanks again for all the reviews! Keep R&R xxxxxx Thenextchapter xxxxx**


	6. Andrew's plan

Viola didn't see Duke after practice. She assured herself that he just went to take a shower but it was strange because she saw Andrew and Toby talking, walking along the pitch. She was wondering where he had gone when someone stopped her on her walk back to her dorm.

"Hey, Viola right?" She turned in the direction of the voice. One of the team members stood behind her, leaning against the wall. He looked vaguely familiar but she couldn't be sure of his name. He wore a smirk that fit perfectly with the rest of his face. Blue eyes that sparkled and the perfect nose and mouth, Viola had to admit he was hot. Personally though, she preferred Duke's looks.

He flipped his golden hair out of his face impatiently and his smirk grew when he saw her check him out. She blushed and smiled back.

"Yeah. Sorry, I don't think I know you?" She asked. He took a step forwards and held out his hand.

"Aaron." She shook his hand. She liked that name.

"You were really good in practice today, I wasn't expecting it." Viola rolled her eyes,

"Didn't expect a girl to play soccer huh?" His smirk grew.

"I didn't expect a _hot_ girl to play soccer," he corrected. Viola laughed and shook her head.

"Are you flirting with me?"

He pretended to think about it for a moment before warily eyeing her up.

"What would your reaction be if I said yes?" Before Viola had a chance to reply, she felt an arm go around her waist and Aaron focused on something behind her head. She looked up to find Duke scowling at Aaron.

"Hey Duke," Aaron grinned cheerfully, Duke only grunted in reply. Viola was surprised he was being so rude, Aaron seemed nice. When it was obvious he wasn't going to get another reaction from him, Aaron winked at Viola and walked off.

"What did he want?" Duke asked when they were alone outside the dorms.

"Just saying hello," she replied. He snorted, his eyes trained on Aaron's retreating back.

"I bet he was," Viola heard him mumble under his breath. She frowned, she didn't understand why he didn't like Aaron, he seemed friendly enough to her.

"Why don't you like him?" Duke looked down and his look of disdain was replaced with a smirk.

"He seems nice enough. Don't know him that well," he pulled her tight against him and her questions died on her lips.

"What are you doing tomorrow?" Viola sighed at the thought.

"Sebastian and I have to go back home. My mom wants to have some stupid family meal. What about you?" Duke grinned,

"I'm going back home to see my mom too. We're ordering takeout." She smiled at his obvious happiness. He must actually love his mom, she wished she could feel the same way about hers.

"You are back by Sunday right?" Viola nodded, remembering their date. She got butterflies just at the thought. His grin had returned and she was relieved to find that he was just as excited as her.

"Good. I'll pick you up at your dorm at seven then?" She didn't care as long as she was with Duke. She nodded and somehow got lost in his warm brown eyes. That was until Andrew interrupted them.

"Hey, Duke, Coach wants to see you." Duke broke eye contact and looked up at Andrew, nodding. He turned back down and smiled before leaning down and placing a kiss on her cheek.

"I'll see you Sunday," he whispered before running off towards the pitch. Viola grinned like a Cheshire, the feel of his lips on her skin, leaving her tingly and hot.

"Earth to Viola!" Toby waved his hand in front of her face, bringing her out of her daze.

"We have to get to class." With one last look in Duke's direction, Viola ran off with Toby and Andrew, trying to get to class before the bell rang, signalling them late.

…...

Viola was finding the day an awful drag. She didn't have Bio which meant she had no Duke and the moment when he kissed her cheek replayed in her head over and over. She wondered what a real kiss would be like…

She had been shouted at by all the teachers for not paying attention, but she didn't care. She just wanted to see Duke again. It was drawing to the end of the day and Viola was dragging herself to her last lesson. English literature. She just wanted Friday to be over so that Sunday would come sooner.

As she walked into the cosy class room, she took the last available seat which just happened to be next to Aaron. He grinned and she smiled back, taking a seat at the desk.

"Viola," he greeted.

"Aaron," she replied, copying his tone of voice and manner.

His grin widened as he leant closer.

"I have a secret," he whispered. Viola leant closer so that she could hear his next words.

"What's that?" His smirk disappeared and was replaced with a look of dead seriousness.

"I hate English Lit." Viola leant back, rolling her eyes at his "secret."

"If you hate it so much, why did you choose to take it?" He leant back, his arms crossed against his chest. She noticed how comfortable he was in his own skin without looking cocky.

"I heard there was a new hot chick in this class." Viola chuckled but voiced his statement with reason.

"First, you didn't know I was coming and second, you can't pick a class half way through the semester." He grinned again and she knew what was coming next.

"What makes you think, you're the hot new chick" Viola blushed at her mistake but Aaron laughed it off.

"I'm joking. You're the only hot girl in this room." She forced her cheeks to stop flaming red. He was a charmer.

She noticed his change of tone almost straight away. Light and joking to serious and kind of depressing.

"My dad wants me to do it." Viola frowned,

"What do you want to do?"

"Apart from play football?" He sighed and sank further into his seat. "Music. I love playing but my dad thinks it's worthless and pointless. He says that hardly any one gets any where in that business."

The way he talked reminded her of Sebastian, and she found herself smiling.

"You sound like my brother." Aaron quirked an eyebrow in question.

"He's obsessed with music. Everything he does is for it," she explained. He smiled back at her.

"I'd like to meet him." She noticed that his eyes reminded her of a calm sea and she found that they were rather very beautiful.

"He's Duke's roommate," she stated innocently. He grinned,

"maybe I'll check in sometime." She smiled but thought over what he said. Why did Duke seem to dislike Aaron so much? She probably shouldn't have shared that bit of information.

Before they could talk more, Mrs. Ruffalo spoke up from the front of the class. Aaron leant forwards so he could whisper in her ear.

"What about you? What's your passion in life?" Viola smiled and leant forwards a little so she could reply.

"Soccer. I've played it ever since I was little."

Aaron gave her a sweet, genuine smile which she could only reply to in the same.

"Hey, Vi." Andrew threw a pencil at the back of her head from where he sat, the seat behind her. She hadn't even realised he was in the same class, so she just threw the pencil back and smiled.

"What do you want?" He ignored her and eyed Aaron up suspiciously.

"Sorry, my pencil slipped from my fingers." Viola rose both brows, disbelieving but turned back to the front of the class. Throughout the whole lesson, Viola was aware of Andrew's prying glare in Aaron's direction. That was Duke and Andrew who seemed to have a vendetta against Aaron and she couldn't understand why. Aaron was sweet and friendly and one of the nicest people she'd met in Illyria yet.

…...

As Andrew walked into class, the first thing he saw was Lizzie Reynolds. She flicked her luscious red hair out of her face as she started laughing at something her friend said. He had had a crush on her since first grade but she just saw him as a complete idiot.

He tried to act suave as he made his way over to his seat but sighed in disappointment when he realised that she hadn't even noticed him walk in. He was such a loser. Why couldn't he just go up and talk to her? All he had to say was hi, but every time he was anywhere near her, he panicked and freaked out. A bit like Duke did with every female in the world. Every female apart from Viola.

He was happy for Duke. He had never seen his friend so happy and relaxed, he had never thought for a second that Duke might actually be in with a chance with a girl like Viola. Andrew didn't know why Duke didn't start stuttering like he did with everyone else in front of Viola, but he was glad that Duke might finally have a chance with a girl.

Saying that, Duke had more experience with the opposite sex then Andrew did. Duke was hot, even a guy had to admit that, and he had girls falling for him every day. The problem was, he just couldn't talk to them. Still, you didn't need to talk if you were too busy making out.

This just made Andrew miserable when he realised Duke had a better social life then he did. As he leant down to take books out of his bag, he noticed who was in front of him. Viola. She was hot, there was no denying that. He had started flirting but when he realised how much Duke actually liked her, he had backed off. Bros before hoes.

It was only after a couple of minutes of staring at the back of her head, did he realise who was sitting next to her. Aaron Dexter. Andrew knew him quite well. They had been friends since kindergarten, and although they had kind of drifted apart over the years, they were still friendly with each other.

When he leant forwards to whisper something in Viola's ear, Andrew scowled. If Duke were here, he would not like it. They were acting way too… friendly. When Viola smiled at whatever he had said, Andrew's stomach turned.

Duke had said that he had finally asked Viola out and she had said yes. If that was true, then why was she flirting with another guy? Don't be an idiot. She probably isn't even flirting, she's probably just being friendly. Still, he couldn't imagine Duke would be okay with this.

Viola laughed and Andrew's stomach once again dropped. He had to do something. Anything. Duke was his best friend. He couldn't let the only girl he was actually capable of talking too slip through his fingers. Without another thought, Andrew picked up his pencil and threw it at the back of her head.

What the hell?! Why did he do that? He was such an idiot.

"Hey Viola," he hissed. She turned, a smile on her face as she realised who was sitting behind her.

"What do you want?" She asked. Andrew mentally groaned. Great, now what was he meant to say? He said the first thing that came into his head.

"Sorry, my pencil slipped from my fingers." My pencil slipped?! Shut up Andrew, just shut up! She rose both brows, it was obvious she didn't believe it and turned back to the front of the class. Andrew breathed a sigh of relief and finally turned his gaze on Aaron.

He was staring at Andrew with a smirk on his face which Andrew had no choice but to glare back at. After a few moments stare off, Aaron turned back to the front of the class. He had to do something. But what? He couldn't confront Viola, and talking to Duke probably wasn't the best idea. Toby. He could talk to Toby about this. He would help.


End file.
